Hi Incurable Travelers, as I have already told you we were guests of the Marina di Venezia camping in early June, considering the geographical position, surrounded by the lagoon, we took the opportunity to make a beautiful excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands.

Excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands: San Francesco del deserto

We boarded Punta Sabbioni in the direction of San Francesco del deserto. This small island, about four hectares, set among the best known Sant’Erasmo and Burano, is a true oasis of peace, sheltered from mass tourism, is managed by the friars who live in the beautiful monastery.

Legend has it that Francis stopped there in the spring of 1220 on his return from a trip to the East and that following the canonization of the Saint, the Venetian nobleman Jacopo Michiel, a dogal family, gave it to the Order of Friars Minor who since then they have guarded it and made it a place of prayer and meditation. Anyone wishing to live an experience of prayer, reflection and sharing of life with the friars, has the possibility of being accommodated for a few days in the face of a free offer.

Excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands: Torcello

Our excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands has continued to Torcello, the northernmost island, sparsely inhabited with a very strong tourist vocation.

We have arrived a few steps from the Devil’s Bridge, which one of the many legends about this construction has been built in one night by the devil himself to win a bet, this belief was probably induced by the lack of “shoulders” , or the protection on the sides. Continuing on the promenade we arrive at the Basilica of Santa Maria dell’Assunta, which boasts the distinction of being the oldest building in the lagoon, where you can admire the wonderful Byzantine mosaic of the 12th-13th century and the portico of the 9th century.

Theater of exciting Venetian wedding ceremonies is the church of Santa Fosca, a Greek-cross church with its portico delimited by marble columns with capitals that reflect the architectural motif of the interior, symbol of Byzantine cultural domination that Venice suffered between the ninth and twelfth centuries.

Excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands: Burano

Leaving Torcello, the excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands has continued towards what I consider the most beautiful and characteristic island of the lagoon, Burano. When you arrive and leave behind you, the landing is immediately captured by the bright and colorful colors of the houses that are reflected in the water of the canals creating a wonderful open-air painting.

The heart of the island is the Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, the only and only square in the village, which was created by burying a canal. Another peculiar feature is the bell tower of the church of San Martino, characterized by the considerable slope originated by the partial collapse of its bases built on stilts, as happens in some parts of Venice.

Going beyond the main square and strolling along the banks, you reach the most spectacular point, where there are the Three Ponti, a crossing point of two canals, characterized by a wooden bridge that connects three banks, that of San Mauro , San Martino Sinistro and Via Giudecca.

This bridge is the ideal place to take photographs, you can see the essence of Burano, its colored houses of fishermen, the crooked bell tower and at sunset, when the sun drops behind the old fish market, you can see a tiny distance in the distance Venice.

To fully appreciate the visit to Burano, the ideal is to walk calmly and lose yourself in the streets and let yourself be surprised by the picturesque views and unexpected squares overlooked by narrow houses, two at most three floors high, from plasters and fixtures colored.

Excursion by motorboat to the Venetian islands: Mazzorbo

Burano left, reluctantly after a very short boat ride, we were for lunch at “Ai Cacciatori” at Mazzorbo, a small island connected to Burano by a bridge, characterized by the green landscape of the areas cultivated with fruit and vegetables (the famous “castraure”, the small violet artichokes, famous those of Sant’Erasmo, slow food presidium).

One of the curiosities that struck me about Mazzorbo is that originally this small strip of land in the middle of the Venetian lagoon, counted as many as five parish churches and six monasteries; today the only one left is Santa Caterina, the current parish church.

The only wise advice that I can give to the incurable travelers who decide to make a trip by motorboat in the Venetian islands is to do it quietly and leaving time to appreciate not only the architecture, the magic of the changing landscape but also the history, legends and liveliness of the inhabitants of these small realities.

Some photos of the excursion by motorboat in the Venetian islands

Camping Marina di Venezia: our long weekend at Cavallino Treporti

Hi Incurable Travelers, waiting for the holidays at the beach we have granted a long weekend of sun in the enchanting setting of the Venetian lagoon, in Cavallino Treporti.

This peninsula is in an enviable position, a border line between the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic Sea; One feature that struck me was the fact that since 1888, when the dam was built, the sandy shoreline takes land advancing 150 meters every ten years and creating a coastal area where many villages and campsites have settled, among the such as the Camping Marina di Venezia, even if defining it camping is very simplistic!

Since the arrival one has the feeling of entering a tourist village equipped with five-star services; after registration, a bracelet is provided to allow the guest free access to the camping facilities and attractions.

The numbers of the Camping Marina di Venezia are truly impressive, with 3000 pitches and 300 units, but despite this large capacity it never feels too many even in periods of maximum presence, as the common areas are large and well-structured. We speak of 300,000 square meters of fine beach framed by dunes covered with Mediterranean vegetation where you can eat in one of the three beach bars and for the children are equipped two game areas, as well as dogs beach.

Anyone wishing to enjoy moments of leisure in the swimming pool of the Camping Marina di Venezia can take advantage of the water park, a real paradise for adults and children, consisting of ten swimming pools, some heated, with slides of different sizes, lengths and heights, whirlpools and fountains of various quantities or simply swim in the Olympic pool.

During the day you can try the different activities offered by the polite animation of the village such as water aerobics, dance classes, windsurfing, archery, tennis, ping pong … and many more.

Parents wishing to carve out moments of relaxation can count on the mini club that entertains children morning and afternoon from 4 years of age with fun or sports activities; or they can play with their children in the Leopark, where there is minigolf, inflatables, trampolines, a classic playground with rides of various kinds and many other attractions.

The heart of the Camping Marina di Venezia is the so-called “liston”, a Venetian term for defining the street of the promenade, or a central avenue dedicated to shopping, recently renovated by the archistart Matteo Thun, who wants to be an open-air market in dialogue with nature.

The architect himself has also redesigned some of the housing units of the Camping Marina di Venezia, the villa gardens, reversing one of the chiefs of the spirit of the camper, or sharing, as it has created wonderful bungalows with a central living area in part to open and with no opening in the external perimeter; a sort of casket of comfort and relaxation.

In general all types of bungalows, marina lodge (with private Jacuzzi on the patio), de luxe lodge, garden lodge, art style lodge, air lodge, just to name a few, have modern design and great comfort. We have been guests of the air lodge, a charming 54 square meters house with two double bedrooms, each with a chromatic shower and service, a living area with a small kitchenette but equipped with every comfort and a nice patio with a dining area. relaxation area, where there is also a comfortable outdoor shower for when you get back warm from the beach, overlooking a well-kept grassy driveway.

For those accompanied by the faithful quadruped, in addition to having a dedicated beach, at the Marina di Venezia is available in the camping area called Marina 8000, a dog shower and a veterinary service for a fee as well as housing units, Rex lodge, in which your pet is welcome.

As you will have understood, the Camping Marina di Venezia is a place where everyone is welcome and in which one feels in the family despite the large size. You breathe the air of freedom, that feeling that only camping life can give and that immediately brings to mind the summers as children and the adventures experienced.

Big and small meet to share moments of fun and carefree holiday, everyone respected in their needs, such is the serenity that brings a holiday of this kind that my son of three and a half years not only would not want to go back home, but he has already asked us to return to the village of the winged lion!

Some photos of the Camping Marina di Venezia

Hi incurable travelers, as I have already told you in the article Hotel Sonnenalpe Falkensteiner we stayed in Nassfeld / Pramollo ski area, 110 km of pistes served by 30 lifts, including ski lifts and modern chairlifts, some even heated, as well as a long cable car the Millennium Express which in just 17 minutes from Tröpolach, in the Gail valley, leads at Kofelplatz Madritsche, with a difference in height of 1309 meters and a length of about 7000 m divided into three sections representing the largest gondola lift in the entire Alpine arc. To get off you can re-use the gondola lift or enjoy a long skiing on the wonderful 7.6 km descent with the last illuminated 2.2 km, which make up the longest Alpine track, as you can guess we are in the “record” area of ​​the Nassfeld Skiarena. Snowboarders in funpark and freeride areas also find satisfaction, where they can perform amazing developments in the same fields where the junior world snowboard championship is hosted. Do not miss the fun even for fans of cross-country skiing, with tracks that reach 80 km in length with various levels of difficulty, or for snowshoe lovers who thanks to the various trails for winter hiking can enjoy the whitewashed landscape. Children can go bobsled or sled on the five dedicated slopes, three of which are illuminated, on the 55 hectares of the frozen natural surface of Lake PresseggerSee. Lovers can experience romantic moments during fairy-tale horse-drawn sleigh rides. The most magical moment to stay in Nassfeld is certainly winter with the landscape dominated by the whiteness of the snow and dotted with the thousand lights that decorate the buildings, but has a certain charm even in summer, despite being known for being a rainy place, sunny days allow thanks to some facilities open during the summer to plan excursions suitable for both beginners and the more adventurous. For the little ones, there are also numerous attractions such as the “Pendolino” summer toboggan run with the longest Carinthian slope or the numerous playgrounds such as NTC Outdoor Park with the rock labyrinth; archery; Geopark, where you discover nature by playing; “In the realm of the witch by the lake” theme park at Lake Pressegger See; Alpine park “Almrausch” and others. After trying the various winter or summer activities, all you have to do is sit down at a table or in a restaurant and taste the excellent speck or the typical cheese from the Gail valley, accompanied by a good mug of beer. To the next destinationinguaribile.viaggiatore(at)yahoo.it

Some photographs of Nassfeld – Austria

Hi Incurable Travelers, finally the longed-for moment of the white week has arrived for us too!

This year we have chosen to identify a week in March for our skiing holiday, to enjoy longer and sunny days to be spent on the slopes of the area of Pramollo / Nassfeld.

The decision to leave the Dolomites in favor of the Carinthian mountains was born from the desire to experiment with new landscapes and also the desire to stay in a Falkensteiner structure again, after the positive experience of staying at the Family Hotel Falkensteiner Lido Ehrenburgerhof.

The hotel Sonnenalpe is a beautiful property directly on the ski slopes in Hermagor in Carinthia, but above all it is the ideal place to spend a week of family vacation thanks to the numerous attentions dedicated to children and the large space for relaxation for parents .

After a trip, for us only two and a half hours, accompanied by a weak snowfall we arrived in Nassfeld through the Pramollo pass and I must say that the experience was not positive, so much so that on the return we preferred to extend the journey by half oretta and come back passing the Tarvisio. The roads on the Austrian side of the area are very clean and completely feasible, not the same for the traits of Friuli competence.

Once we arrived we entered our room, a superior family, and the expression of pure enthusiasm that had the face of my son of three and a half years was an injection of vitality for us too. He found himself in front of a room designed to stay with the children, where everything is made to measure, like the double sink, the beds laid on a wooden platform that makes the sleeping area well separated from that day with the possibility to obscure only the single bed for the afternoon rest of the little ones keeping the rest of the room accessible. Accomplice age for him everything was a discovery, the sliding doors of the large closet, so capacious that it became his favorite hideaway, the huge sofa was a perfect ship of the pirates, but the real surprise is the blow of lightning that he had for the single bed where he stood a pillow with an applied sheep and that he decided to be his despite never having slept before in such a big bed!

We needed a holiday with slow rhythms and so our stay was full of tranquility, but also and above all the fun of our little man.

The landscape was covered by a high snowpack, certainly a meter and a half was reached without problems, and even the hotel garden has become the scene of countless descents with the bobsleigh or laps on the slide with a plunge end in the fresh snow .

Skiers can wear skis outside the door of the Falkensteiner Hotel Sonnenalpe Nassfeld and descend along a connecting slope leading to the ski lifts to descend along the many long, sun-kissed slopes until late afternoon.

Once back wet but happy by the games on the snow you can enjoy lunch and / or dinner in the spacious dining room also equipped to meet the needs of children thanks to plastic cups and saucers and tasty menus dedicated to them.

In the late afternoon when it was not possible to stay outdoors, the little one of the house chose to continue the games at the Falky Almland together with other children. The Falky Almland is really the country of toys thanks to a series of wooden houses that reconstruct a fairytale world and the many games available, as well as an animation program that does not allow any child to get bored.

It is open from eight in the morning until eight in the evening and allows those who want to take advantage also of having the children eat with the staff for both lunch and dinner.

As long as the little ones are busy playing, mom and dad can enjoy wonderful hours of relaxation in the large spa that in addition to having a Turkish bath, whirlpool, Kneipp path and different types of saunas has many areas dedicated to relaxation where you can rest between one treatment and another with a hot cup of tea. If you are a lover of body care there is the possibility of booking a selection of different beauty treatments and for the more sporty there is a large and well equipped gym. Of course, the pool could not be missing, as well as a comfortable indoor area also directly connected an outdoor part open even in winter where you can experience the thrill of a bath surrounded by the whitewashed landscape.

A very positive aspect, and I say this as a parent, is that the wellness area, with the exclusion of the pool, is forbidden for children under 16 years, except from 12 to 15, when it is also accessible with their children.

The helpfulness and kindness of the staff at the Falkensteiner Hotel Sonnenalpe Nassfeld helped to make our stay even more enjoyable and I think we will return with good weather to experience new experiences in the green of the Carinthian mountains.

With all the services offered by the Falkensteiner Hotel Sonnenalpe you never want to leave the hotel, instead we invite you to discover what to do in Nassfeld in winter. p>

SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF FALKENSTEINER HOTEL SONNENALPE NASSFELD

Novi Ligure

Hello, Incurable Travelers, the second day of stay in the Novara area we were at the discovery of Novi Ligure, which despite the name can deceive, is located in the lower Piedmont.

Many know it to be home to the factory of a famous chocolate that boasts of being better than the Swiss, but in reality it is also a beautiful village dating back to around the year one thousand that had different domains from the Marquis of Monferrato, to the Lords of Milan through the Ligurian Republic and the Kingdom of Sardinia to end up being annexed to the constituting province of Alexandria in 1859.

The landscape characterized by rolling hills planted with vines served as the ideal backdrop for the training of the two great Italian cycling champions, Costante Girardengo and Fausto Coppi, to whom the Museo dei Campionissimi is dedicated. This vast exhibition of almost three thousand square meters tells the story of not only the two champions but also the history of Italian cycling. In this year, in which the 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia occurs, you can see the temporary exhibition “Bike Passion. From the Campari albums a two-wheeled story “produced by Galleria Campari.

The historic center, dominated by the hill on which stands the tower of the castle, develops around the central Piazza Delle Piane through an intricate system of streets and alleys, an indication of the medieval origin of the village, and is characterized by many noble palaces with painted facades who were deputies to holiday homes for the rich Genoese families, who in this Christmas period are also enriched by the various nativity scenes.

The original fortified village is still very partially conserved, although a large part of the ancient walls has been demolished, thanks to the presence of some towers.

With the beginning of industrialization and the arrival of iron and steel activities and the railways, the country has seen its importance expand until it became one of the poles of the nascent Italian industry at the end of the nineteenth century, the first quarters outside the bastions, characterized by wide and rectilinear streets, parallel and perpendicular to each other.

Novi Ligure has maintained its industrial vocation but directed it between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century towards the confectionery production with the birth of the well-known companies Novi and Pernigotti, but also of more artisanal producers such as Bordato and Gambarotta.

At the end of the day after this pleasant and sweet walk in the Piedmontese town of Novi Ligure, we return to the comfortable rooms of the Hotel Al Castello, a small and welcoming structure in the heart of the village of Gavi, for a well-deserved rest and maybe to take advantage of the beauty area a relaxing massage. During our stay in Novi Ligure, we went to the event Sweet lands

How to reach: By plane: The nearest airport is Genoa airport which is about 57 km away, or the airports of Milan or Turin which are about 110 km away. By car: Highway A26 – exit Novi Ligure. On the train: Novi Ligure railway station on the Turin-Genoa and Milan-Genoa lines.